And in the end...

And in the end it wasn't very close. If you go to the final election results online here's what you'll find under Jackson County Commissioner Position #1:

Jeff Golden (DEM) (IND) . . . . . 32,980 43.62%

Don Skundrick (REP) . . . . . . . 42,509 56.22%

There's plenty we could say about this. I'll keep it to this: this wasn't our time.

Looking forward from here, there's a lot more to say. I had a chance to say some of it in a guest opinion column in yesterday's Mail Tribune. Because we're not done.

To all of you who had a hand in this campaign, my deep and warm thanks. Alongside the clear fact that this wasn't our time is the clear reality that times constantly change. So. Onward.

32 hours to the finish line

I write this at noon on Monday, 24 plus 8 = 32 hours before this election ends.

Every day I'm asked if we'll win. I want you to know we've already won. We laid out a solid, practical alternative to the 1990s economic habits that are taking us over the cliff, and plenty of people from different parts of the political spectrum heard us, and thought seriously about what lies ahead. That matters.

Beyond that, will we end up with more votes than the other guy, and have the chance to ground our vision in county government policy? That we'll know in 32 hours. Either way there will be plenty for us to do to build a more self-reliant, sustainable and caring community together.

I'm more grateful than I can say for what so many of you have given to this campaign. I wanted it to be ours, not mine. It has been.

And, we're not quite done. Be sure to return your ballot before 8pm tomorrow (not in the mail, because it's too late, but in election drop boxes-- behind the Ashland library or on West Main just east of Columbus Ave in Medford) and call procrastinators or tuned-out people you may know to nudge them to do the same. If the outcome's decided by less than 100 votes--and that's happened before--I want us celebrating instead of what-iffing.

Thank you. Onward.